


14x19

by Otrera



Series: SPN Codas [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: @all the parents reading this: apologize to your fucking children, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apologies, Apologizing Sam Winchester, Castiel is Jack Kline's Parent, Dean Winchester Being an Asshole, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Fix-it, Episode: s14e19 Jack in the Box, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Parental Sam Winchester, Post-Episode: s14e19 Jack in the Box, Sam Winchester is Jack Kline's Parent, Sam and Cas get Jack out of the box
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-22
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-01-24 03:10:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18562714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Otrera/pseuds/Otrera
Summary: Sam and Cas get Jack out of the box. Alternate ending to 14x19.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Look. Dean is the villain of this fic. Don't read it if that's not something you vibe with.

Cas is nearly speechless with fury; he raises his finger accusingly at Dean and grits out, “You _manipulated_ him.” He pronounces “manipulated” like it’s some disgusting, venomous creature which exists only to vex sentient beings.

“He _agreed_ to it,” Dean fires back, equally as angry as Cas. “Because deep down, I think he knows it’s best.”

 _He won’t listen, Cas_ , Sam prays silently. _He won’t listen._

Cas’ eyes flicker almost unnoticeable in Sam’s direction, and within the next second he places two fingers on Dean’s forehead and Dean collapses to the floor.

Sam springs up from his chair and follows as Cas stalks out of the room, trenchcoat billowing out behind him.

When he reaches the room that holds the Ma’lek box, Cas doesn’t bother to open the door and simply blows it off its hinges instead.

“Sam? Dean?” Jack’s voice is frantic and scared inside the box.

“We’re here, Jack,” says Cas. He and Sam make short work of the latches on the outside of the box.

Jack sits up and climbs shakily out of the box. His cheeks are flushed and sweaty, and his hair is in disarray. His eyes are rimmed red. “I don’t like it in there.”

“We know, Jack,” Cas says gently, but then he looks back to Sam and his gaze goes hard and flinty. “Can I trust you?”

Sam’s heart aches. “Yes.”

Cas turns back to Jack. “Go pack. We’re leaving.”

“Why?”

“It’s a long story. I’ll explain in the car.”

Jack leaves the room.

“How long will Dean be out?” asks Sam.

“Hours.”

Less than ten minutes later, all three of them are packed and on the road in some old Buick. Sam had made sure to switch the plates so Dean wouldn’t know which ones they were using.

Sam consults a Men of Letters journal he’d brought. “There’s a, ah, old Men of Letters chapel house in Cincinnati. It’s warded, kind of out-of-the-way.”

Cas nods and hands Sam his phone. “Can you put it in Google Maps?”

As Sam types in the address, Jack, who has remained silent thus far, speaks up. “Why isn’t Dean coming with us?”

Sam and Cas exchange a look. Sam clears his throat and tries his best to explain. “Dean doesn’t… he’s not sure it’s a good idea for you to be out of the Ma’lek box.”

In the rear-view mirror, Jack’s eyebrows furrow. “But - you guys are working on a spell to fix my soul. So I won’t be dangerous for much longer.”

Cas takes over. “Jack… there is no spell.”

Silence. “What?”

“There is no spell. Dean lied to you.”

“What?” Jack tries to meet Sam’s eyes in the mirror. “But - Sam. Sam said.”

Sam closes his eyes against the shame. “I’m so sorry, Jack.”

Jack sits back in his seat, disbelieving, and turns his face away from them. And as Sam listens to his son start to cry, he hates himself even more and has to wonder how he could have ever though Jack was soulless.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 3 fics in 3 days?? who am i???

Jack does not talk for the remainder of the car ride. He continues to stay silent even once they reach the chapel house, ignoring both Sam and Cas as he grabs his bags and practically runs inside.

Sam sighs and runs his hands through his hair in distress.

Cas puts a hand on his shoulder. “You are not entirely to blame. Dean manipulated both of you.”

“Thanks, Cas.”

“That was not intended to absolve you of all blame. You still need to play your part in rectifying the situation.”

“I know, Cas. I just meant thanks for giving me a chance to fix it.”

Cas moves his hand from Sam’s shoulder to Sam’s cheek. “You are a good man, Sam, with good intentions. And he is your son, too. It would be wrongful of me to take that chance away from you.”

They shared a quick, chaste kiss, and then Sam went off in search of Jack. He found him in the chapel house’s kitchen.

“Jack? Can I talk to you?”

Jack sighs and hunches his shoulders. “Yeah.”

“I want to tell you I’m sorry I tricked you into getting into the Ma’lek box. That wasn’t okay. And I shouldn’t have done it.”

“But I’m dangerous.”

Sam firmly shakes his head. “Doesn’t matter. I trapped you and broke your trust on purpose. Just because you aren’t human doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be respected as a person.” Sam hesitates. “Jack, can I tell you a story?”

Jack nods, so Sam leans next to him on the counter. “When I was younger, I had powers. They came from a bad place and sometimes I did bad things with them. Bobby - not the Bobby you know, the Bobby from this world - Bobby had a panic room, which was covered in all kinds of sigils and protections against demons and other monsters. Nothing could get in, but nothing could get out, either.

“So, I did so many bad things with my powers that Dean and Bobby decided to lock me in the panic room until I didn’t have powers anymore. Someone let me out before my powers were gone, then I did some really bad things by accident. After I did those things, I was still angry at Dean and Bobby but I also felt like I deserved to be locked away.”

Sam puts his hands on Jack’s shoulders and looks him in the eye. “I want you to know that you do  _ not _ deserve to be locked up, and it is  _ absolutely _ okay for you to be angry at us. You don’t have to forgive us, but I want you to know that I love you and I support you.”

Jack’s lower lip trembles. He barely has time to blurt out, “I forgive you,” before he throws his arms around Sam’s neck and starts to sob into his shoulder.

Sam hugs him back, so tightly that if Jack weren’t a nephil, Sam might be afraid of cracking his ribs.


End file.
